


Nightmares

by fannishtendencies



Series: Gems!Sonic AU [1]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: M/M, Two POVs, ask to tag, knuckles and pachamanac povs, no i dont know anything about pachamanac canon, parallels in dreams, potiental ooc pachamanac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:54:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24652660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fannishtendencies/pseuds/fannishtendencies
Summary: Sometimes, Knuckles had these dreams. Dreams of the past, when Rubies - not unlike him - took care of mysterious crystals.Or: sonic x steven universe thing I wrote for some reason. Sonknuckles implied I guess? Tried to do parallels, major chara death in past/dream.
Relationships: Knuckles the Echidna/Sonic the Hedgehog
Series: Gems!Sonic AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884202
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> \- Knuckles is in focus when there are no italics, and Pachamanac is in focus when there are italics
> 
> \- in this Gem!AU, Knuckles is a Blood Ruby, a type of Ruby that has a crimson color and is designated a higher position in Gem society then other Rubies. He didn't know about this, though, because the Diamonds discarded the Blood Ruby caste before he was created.
> 
> \- Various rebel teams, similar to the Resistance, operate by themselves. These include, but are not limited to: Team Sonic, Team Rose, Team Dark, and Team Psychic. Knuckles is, of course, a part of Team Sonic.
> 
> \- Eggman is a human from another world, declaring allegiance to the Diamonds in peace. He wants to study them, creating new tech, and the Diamonds want more control, which they can get with his tech. 
> 
> \- Homeworld is an amalgamation of various races instead of just Gems; species whose survival was hanging on a thread came to the drifting planet and thrived.

Sometimes, Knuckles had these dreams. Dreams of the past, when Rubies - not unlike him - took care of the mysterious crystals. 

====

_ "I bestow upon you the greatest honor," a celestial voice rumbled through his ears. "You shall be the caretaker of the Master Emerald, the most powerful of the Emeralds. Accept this gift with the grace and elegance I know you possess." _

_ "Of course, My Diamond," he responded, and his body suddenly felt fraught with a great weight.  _ This must be the power of my Emerald,  _ he thought.  _ Incredible.

_ "Remember, Pachamanac, you must place this duty above all others. You are a Blood Ruby; your people are blessed above the filthy commoner Rubies." _

_ He stooped down, still not looking his Diamond in the eye. "Yes, of course." He made the honor gesture, making a diamond with his arms, in reverence to her.  _

_ "Go." _

_ One little word and he dashed for the exit. She was too powerful, her mind in his; it scared him. Now, though, he was free. Free but a slave, a slave to his new duty. _

_ ===== _

But whenever Knuckles awoke, the dreams slithered back out, only leaving the horrible feelings they left with him. 

=====

_ "Tikal, please listen to me." _

_ "No! Pacha, you listen to  _ me.  _ We must listen to our Diamonds! They say that gathering the Emeralds together would cause a catastrophe, and why should we believe any different!" _

_ Knuckles, or Pachamanac, as he was called here, wanted to hurl something. "Because the Diamonds don't know everything. Much as they want to convince you otherwise, they are as much a Gem as you or me. The Master Emerald gave me a command, and I must - and  _ will -  _ follow it." _

_ "I won't let you." _

_ Those were the last words he heard before everything went dark. _

_ ==== _

He woke up gasping that night. The meaning of these dreams evaded him - but one thing remained clear: he needed to find those Gems.

His mind was made. He needed to leave the team and venture out on his own.

====

_ "It hurts me to do this," she screamed, tears rolling down her face without abandon. "Don't you know how much this hurts?!" _

_ "Then stop!" Why did he keep trying? Neither Pachamanac nor Knuckles knew why. But they both figured it must have something to do with love. "We don't have to be enemies, Tikal, if you just - " _

_ ==== _

" - just stay with me." Sonic was stubbornly glaring at Knuckles, hands stuck into fists. "Stay with  _ us _ . We need you here, Knuckles, why can't you see that?!"

"Why can't  _ you  _ see that I need this?" Knuckles shot back, sparks kicking up out of his feet. "Stop focusing so much on yourself for once and just - listen!"

But Sonic had already ran off. Knuckles hated that his mind kept replaying the scene as he settled off into the night, and how it focused on his blurry face. Would Sonic really miss him? And why did he care so much?

Despite the pain it brought him, Knuckles assured himself that Sonic would be absolutely fine that night, with Tails and their other friends being more than enough company.

====

_ It would be alright. _

_ He had found four Chaos Emeralds, and Pacha was well on his way to finding the fifth one. He'd put everything in its place, and maybe then he and Tikal could be happy together. Maybe Homeworld could be happy, without Gems needlessly dying everyday. _

_ His communicator had turned on when he got back to his camp. It broadcasted a hologram, with big newsletters scrolling at the top. _

**Blood Ruby Shattered For Help Given To A Treasoner!**

_ ==== _

He'd found one. Hidden in the Palace Above The Sky. A Chaos Emerald.

It sparkled with such profound beauty he hated looking at it, so much that he kept it in his gem as he traveled. The sea-blue color reminded him too much of when he'd started this journey.

But it'd be fine. He'd put the world back together with his bare hands if he had too. 

He'd started to piece together some things from his dreams. Like how the Ruby whose body he'd inhabit had been the leader of a group of Rubies - ones with a deep crimson color Gem; and how he too had gone on a journey to find the Chaos Emeralds, as Knuckles now knew they were called.

What he still didn't know was how far Pachamanac would go to get one.

====

_ "Please… please…have mercy…." _

_ Pachamanac had the Rhodonite right under his feet, begging for mercy. His instincts conflicted with his emotions, and the war was a bloody one. His emotions came out on top. _

_ "Do not beg for something I cannot give." _

_ He crushed the Gem, and took the Emerald from the dust. A crooked grin formed on his scarred face, showing off his fangs for no one to see; for no one was left in the village. _

_ ==== _

"If our bodies are holograms, then how can we bleed?" 

"We do not bleed like other creatures of the worlds. When we bleed, it means a wound has been made that cannot be healed normally. It will leave a scar on your form that cannot be undone, and a scar on  _ you  _ too."

He had blood on his hands. Pachamanac. 

Now Knuckles knew.

====

_ At last, he had acquired the final Chaos Emerald! Now, he would obtain ultimate power! _

_ A stream of multi-colored light whirled around him, and he screamed into the night. His senses overloaded with his newfound powers, and his body took on an iridescent sheen. But then a rumble came. _

_ "You are unworthy, Pachamanac! Your heart is tainted with greed and unhappiness!  _ **_You will not wield the Chaos Powers!"_ **

_ "No! This wasn't how this was supposed to go! I  _ **_will_ ** _ be all powerful! I  _ **_will! No!"_ **

====

Knuckles jumped forward, sweating and heart racing. He remembered the dream perfectly for the first time, the voices so clear in his mind. A million questions rolled through his mind at once:  _ how will I know I'm worthy? Was this all a waste? I need to go back home. _

_ Do I even have a home?  _

He had lived with Sonic and Tails before this journey, and before that with his Sapphire. He had no place to call his own now, nowhere he could go.

He had acquired five Chaos Emeralds, but what of it? Surely no one could be truly pure enough to wield their combined power? He could feel himself trying to think of someone, but his mind was blank on the subject. 

Still, Eggman was a threat. Knuckles shuddered as he imagined all kinds of horrible things Eggman could and  _ would  _ do to the Emeralds if he got his grubby little hands on them, and then he felt a sense of protectiveness.  _ These Emeralds belong to Homeworld, and it's my duty to protect them. _

====

The Emerald called to him. He heard it's voice every night, whispering into his head.  _ Come to me. Come to me. _

Like an order from White Diamond, Knuckles couldn't resist. He packed up his camp and left Angel Island, which had come to feel like a home to him.

As soon as he arrived in the Emerald Hills, Knuckles felt his heart race faster. He leaped off a ledge, gliding through the swaying trees and loop-de-loops with familiar ease, enjoying the feeling of the air under him. And yet, his head continued to repeat the questions.

He landed lightly, the grass crunching under his feet, right in front of a run-down hut situated under a particularly large loop. His home, three months ago.

His heart pounded like a sledgehammer. The sweat accumulated in his spines, and he had to force himself to walk up to the door.  _ Knock. Knock. _

A lot of clanging around. A yawn; it was around five am, probably (Knuckles didn't have a watch!). The door opened, revealing none other Gem then Sonic. 

"Hi."

The door slammed in his face. Seconds ticked by, Knuckles standing frozen in the shock of rejection, until the door was thrown open and he was tackled to the ground faster than the speed of sound.

__

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> maaaaaay write more for this (most likely a how-they-met sonknux one if I do).
> 
> comment or kudo if you like ~


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